The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 24, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Charge sheet given to Kulandaivelu

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI JAN. 23. The former Mayor, P. Kulandaivelu of the DMK, was today served with a copy of the charge sheet in connection with the disproportionate wealth case filed against him by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. Besides Mr. Kulandaivelu, his wife, K. Dhanalakshmi and son, K. Senthil Kumar, received the copies of the charge sheet in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, M. Dhandapani. The CJM adjourned the case for January 30, police sources said.

E-mail threat to councillor

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM JAN. 23. The Collector, Ramachandran, has ordered police protection for all 59 councillors of the Salem Corporation following a threat message, which he received on e-mail.

The e-mail claimed that one of the councillors would be killed on Republic Day. It, however, did not name the councillor.

Attur sub-jail officials suspended

By Our Staff Reporter

ATTUR JAN. 23.. Two officials, including the superintendent of the Attur sub-jail, were placed under suspension following complaints from the public.

The Salem prison administration under which control the sub-jail comes, received a spate of complaints that the officials of the sub-jail demanded money for permitting the visitors and relatives to see the inmates. After a preliminary enquiry, the two officials were placed under suspension pending further enquiry.

Escapee nabbed

Meanwhile, a Namakkal special police team nabbed Dhanapal, a remand prisoner who escaped from the Namakkal sub-jail on Monday, from a village near Thottiyam. Later he was remanded to custody.

Irrigation schemes for 9 districts

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JAN. 23.. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today issued orders for undertaking 10 new irrigation schemes in nine districts, including in the newly-formed Krishnagiri district, at a cost of Rs. 10.71 crores.

The schemes will be taken in Tuticorin, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Sivaganga, Tirunelveli, Kancheepuram, Ramanathapuram, Tiruvallur and Krishnagiri districts, says an official release. While the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development will give a loan of Rs. 10.17 crores, the balance amount will be met by the State Government.

Bakrid on February 2

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JAN. 23.. New moon for the month of ``Zil haj'' was not sighted on January 22. As such the Eid ul Adha (Bakrid) will be celebrated on February 2 (Monday), according to the Chief Kazi to the Tamil Nadu Government, Salahuddin Mohammed Ayub.

New SP for Tuticorin

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JAN. 23.. Sandeep Rai Rathore, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch-I CID, Chennai, will be the new SP for Tuticorin district vice Abhay Kumar Singh, IPS, transferred and posted as Crime Branch-I, CID, Chennai.

9 die as bus falls into ravine

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM JAN. 23.. Nine persons, including two women and the crew, were killed when a State Government Express bus from Tirupati plunged into a 20-foot ravine in the Manchavadi Pass near Vellaiyampalayam this evening.

Nineteen others including two women and a three-year-old child were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital here with serious injuries. Hospital sources said the condition of the three was said to be ``very critical.''

The injured passengers told The Hindu that en route the bus had to be stopped often to set right the brake, which reportedly developed a snag. When the bus negotiated a steep bend in the Manchavadi Pass, it lost control, as the brake got jammed. The bus fell into the ravine with its front portion hitting the rock down with a thud. As the Manchavadi Pass is rich in bamboo forests, most of the survivors suffered from slashes and cuts all over their bodies from bamboo sticks.

Fire personnel from Salem brought the injured to the Government Hospital here. The Collector, Ramachandran, visited the accident site. A team of senior officials from Salem and Dhamapuri districts supervised relief operations. The identification of the dead is yet to be established.

Meanwhile, many of the injured passengers were laid on the floor in the hospital, as adequate beds were not available in the Casualty ward. A hospital employee said the injured could not be transported to various wards for urgent clinical investigation due to inadequate stretchers and wheelchairs.

Study on cotton purchase

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE JAN. 23.. The South India Cotton Association (SICA) has undertaken a study — ``new initiatives to develop banking schemes for cotton purchase'' and the modalities of the study are being worked out. Sources in the SICA told The Hindu that it was planned to involve professionals to do the study. The scheme would benefit textile mills and cotton growers.

The main objective was to make cotton purchase by textile mills a ``bank-assisted programme.'' Various schemes would be evolved and suggested to the Centre.

BJP rath yatra

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL JAN.23 .The Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Pon. Radhakrishnan, today launched the rath yatra being taken out by the Bharatiya Janata Party to highlight its achievements in the town from the Nagaraja temple grounds here.

The district president S. Kumaradhas, the former MLA, C. Velayuthan, and the Nagercoil municipal chairperson, M. Meena Dev, were among those who participated. The rath would traverse various parts of the town for the next two days.

Rs.8 lakhs for improving PHC

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL JAN.23 . The construction of a maternity block and a compound wall is in progress at the Kottaram Primary Health Centre near here on an outlay of Rs.8 lakhs.

Following a plea from the people living in and around Kottaram that a maternity block should be constructed within the premises of the PHC, the Health Minister, N. Thalavai Sundaram, provided about Rs.5 lakhs from his Assembly Constituency Development Fund recently, and the civil work is currently apace. The Health Department, later, allocated Rs.3 lakhs to facilitate the construction of a compound wall around the PHC.

Mr. Sundaram, who visited the PHC recently, directed the authorities to complete the work soon.

Traffic signals to be set right

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL JAN.23 .The Kanyakumari Collector, Rajesh Lakhoni, has directed the police to restore the defunct traffic signals at arterial junctions in the town soon.

The Collector, who undertook a surprise inspection at the Veppamoodu Junction, Xavier Junction and the Chettikulam Junction in the town along with the SP, A. Arun, has informed that the signals would be set right shortly. In a statement here today, Mr. Lakhoni said efforts would be made to regulate the traffic at the junctions to ensure an orderliness of traffic.

ESIC nod

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI JAN.23 .The Employees' State Insurance Corporation has, in consultation with the State Government, approved the issue of separate family cards to the insured person's family residing in other States/Region to enjoy the medical benefit from the ESI dispensaries in implemented areas.

In a statement issued here today, A.S. Meeran, Joint Director, ESIC, Madurai Sub-Region, said the insured persons should contact the branch manager of the Corporation of the area concerned (where the insured person's name was registered) to get a separate family identity card.

Competitions for students

By Our Special Correspondent

PERAMBALUR JAN. 23. . Students should shun inhibitions and develop competitive spirit to face the future challenges with total confidence, the Collector, S. Natarajan, said.

Speaking at a function to inaugurate various competitions for school students, organised by the Department of Tamil Development, at the Moulana Higher Secondary School here on Wednesday, he said such contests would go a long way in improving the overall personality of the younger generation and called upon the student community to take full advantage of the same.

The Deputy Director of the Department of Tamil Development, S. Thambusamy, and member of the District Tamil Mandram, S. Balasubramanian, spoke.

Plea to shift IMFL shops

By Our Staff Reporter

Nagapattinam JAN. 23. . The Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam has urged the authorities to shift two IMFL retail outlets, run by the TASMAC, to some other locations.

In a resolution passed at an executive committee meeting of the party, south district unit, held at Azhiyur recently under the chairmanship of the former district secretary, M. Mohammed Mibthah, it said the outlets at New Road and other behind Bharathi Market are very close to the Arabic College and places of worship.

Resolutions urging the TNEB to drop the move to shift the EB office from Nagore to Panangudi was also passed.

Loan camp

By Our Staff Reporter

Thanjavur JAN. 23. . REPCO Home Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of REPCO Bank, is organising a housing loan camp here on Saturday, according to a press release issued here today.

The camp will be held at 2580, South Main Street here between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Loans will be sanctioned on the spot. REPCO offers loans for purchase of plot, house, flat, construction of house and commercial buildings. It offers special schemes for government employees, working women and pensioners.

People can walk in with their income proof and property documents to avail loan on the spot. For further information, the branch manager may be contacted over the phone number (04362) 271380.

Mettur level

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI JAN 23 . Water level at the Mettur reservoir stood at 30.54 feet today. The inflow was 208 cusecs and discharge nil.

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